Paper-punching device with selectively disposable punches



June 11, 1968 H. 1.. NEILSEN PAFER-PUNCHING DEVICE WITH SELECTIVELY DISPOSABLE PUNCHES Filed June 9, 1966 United States Patent 3,387,526 PAPER-PUNCHENG DEVICE WITH SELECTIVELY DEWOSAELE PUNCHES Hildaur L. Neilsen, 2 Juniper St, Metuchen, NJ. nests Filed June 9, 1966, Ser. No. 556,394 6 Claims. (Cl. 83-571) ABSTRACT OF THE DTSCLOSURE Separate punch assemblies are readily shiftable between sets of punch-receptive holes according to desired spacing of holes to be punched, said assemblies having yieldable detent means for holding them releasably in operative association with related sets of said holes.

This invention relates to devices for punching holes in paper and, more particularly, is directed to such a device having means for readily adjusting the device for use in simultaneously punching holes in various spaced relationships.

As such devices may be utilized for punching holes in sheet material other than paper, all references herein to paper should be understood to comprehend not only paper but all other sheet material capable of having holes punched therein by a device such as that which is disclosed herein.

An important object of this invention is the provision of such a paper-punching device wherein its adjustment and readjustment for punching holes in various spaced relationships may be very easily and quickly accomplished.

Another important object is the provision of such a device having plural punch assemblies with provision for inactively holding such assemblies as may not be in use at any given time.

Another important object is the provision of such device having relatively few parts which may be assembled easily in the manufacture of the device so that the latter may be very economically manufactured.

Another important object is the provision of such a device having a readily openable and re-closable waste tray for reception of punched-out paper so that such waste may accumulate without escaping during use of the device and yet may be easily and quickly removed from the device when the accumulation thereof makes such removal desirable.

The foregoing and other more or less obvious objectives are achieved by the present invention of which a single embodiment is disclosed herein without, however, limiting the invention to that particular embodiment.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of a paper-punching device according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view as seen from the left end of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view substantially on the irregular line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view substantially on the lines 44 of FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional View, towards one of two similar ends of the device, substantially on the irregular lines 6-6 of FIGS. 2 and 3.

All parts of the disclosed device are formed of suitable, relatively rigid material, preferably steel or other suitable metal.

The disclosed device comprises an operating lever 2 hinged at its forward margin to the upper margin of an upright front wall 4- of a punch holder 6. A lower, generally fiat portion 8 of the punch holder is suitably spot welded at 9 upon a fiat upper wall 10 of a base 12.

The punch holder 6 comprises a main member 14 constituted of its lower fiat portion 3 and. its upright front wall t which are rigidly integral and in angular interrelationship.

Within the angle formed by the parts 4 and 8 is disposed an elongate channel member 16 disposed on its side with its bottom wall spot welded at several points 18 to the front wall 4 of the punch holders main member 14. The channel member 16 is formed with outwardly flared lips 20 and 22 extending along its opposite longitudinal edges. The lip 26 serves as a means for spacing the main part of the channel member 16 from the wall 8 while the lip 22 serves to form a longitudinal recess 24 which serves a purpose hereinafter explained.

The lower flat portion 8 of the punch holder and the two side walls of the channel member i=6 are formed with aligned punch receiving holes 26a, b, c, therein at a plurality of points along the punch holder.

The device is provided with a plurality of separate, similar punch assemblies 28- each consisting of a punch 30, and a conical volute spring 32. Above a lower or main plunger portion 38 of the punch, the latter has an integral, narrow neck portion 4-0 of such diameter as to receive intimately thereon a top coil portion of the spring 32; and, riveted upon a reduced upper extension of the neck as shown in broken lines in FIG. 3, is a washer or roundedtop button 34.

The button 34 is of such size as to prevent the spring from becoming disassociated from the punch by upward movement relatively thereto while the inside diameter of the springs top coil is less than the diameter of the punches plunger portion 33 thereby preventing disassociation of the spring from the punch by movement downwardly relatively thereto. The parts of the plunger assembly are easily assembled by first placing the spring 32 in place and then placing the button 34 upon the reduced upper extension of the neck 40 and riveting or spreading the upper end of said extension to fix the button upon or as a part of the punch.

The diametral dimension of the bottom coil of the spring 32 is such that, when the punch assembly 2-8 is in place in the device as shown in FIG. 3, one circumferential portion of the springs bottom coil extends within the longitudinal recess 24 whereby to hold the punch assembly against dislodgement except by manual lateral displacement of the bottom of the spring from said recess. Such displacement enables the punch assembly to be lifted out of the holes 26a, 26b, 26c and thus free of the remainder of the device.

The lower, flat wall 8 of the punch holder is deformed downwardly at various longitudinally aligned points 42 along its length. These deformations are merely dished downwardly at all points therearound excepting at their forward portions where the deformations are defined by cuts 42a which, in the several deformations, form longitudinally aligned straight edges. The several downward deformations 42 serve to space the remainder of the flat wall 8 of the punch holder from the top, fiat wall 10 of the base 12, the spacing thus accomplished serving to provide a longitudinal, forwardly facing slot 46 for reception therewithin of a marginal portion of a paper sheet x which is shown in broken lines in FIG. 3. Because of the fact that the cut front edges 42a of the deformations 42 are such as to meet the top surface of the bases wall 10 and to meet the bottom surface of forwardly located, non-deformed portions of the punch holders wall 8, said front edges 42a close off and define the bottom or back of the slot 46 and thereby serve to limit the extent to which a sheet of paper may be inserted into the slot.

Any suitable means may be employed for hinging the operating lever 2 to the front wall i of the punch holder. A convenient and economical way of accomplishing such hinging is illustrated as utilizing a plurality of tongues 48 which are formed at the forward edge of the operating lever and curled more or less circularly to extend freely into accommodating rectangular holes 59 formed near the top edge of the front wall 4 of the punch holder.

The operating lever 2 is formed with two rather long and deep depressions 52 in longitudinal alignment and toward opposite ends of the lever. Another depression 54 is provided between and in alignment with depressions 52. The depression 54- is relatively short but is of the same depth as the depressions 52. The disposition of the depressions 52 and 54 is such that When the operating lever 2 is manually pushed downwardly, the bottom sur faces of the material defining said depressions engages the rounded upper end or ends of punches 30 located thereunder in any of the sets of plunger receptive holes 26a, b, provided in the device.

It may be seen from FIG. 4- and by comparison with FIG. 3 that the holes 26a, b, and 0 (only holes 26b appearing in FIG. 4) are provided in a substantial plurality in longitudinal alignment along the punch holder 6. Moreover, it may be seen from FIG. that similarly disposed holes Zfid are provided in the top wall it) of the base 12, these latter holes being in vertical alignment with the holes 26a, 26b, and 26c as may be understood from FIG. 3.

From FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the device 1s formed with eleven sets of holes suitable for operational reception of punches; and the device may be supplied by the manufacturer to the user with eleven sets of punch assemblies 28. The user, however, may seldom, if ever, use all eleven sets of punch assemblies at one time but will insert punch assemblies only into those sets of holes '26a-c which are spaced to correspond to the spacing which he desires to provide with respect to holes to be punched in sheets of paper. Thus, FIGS. 4 and 5 indicate the presence of 4 punches 30 at points in the device corresponding to points at which the user desires holes to be punched in paper.

The fiat wall 8 of the punch holder and the top wall of the base may be formed with plural sets of holes 56 within which punch assemblies not in use may be inserted for storage purposes.

The base 12 is provided with a hinged bottom plate 58 which serves two purposes:

(1) to provide, for the device, a smooth flat bottom for resting upon a table surface or similar supporting surface, and

(2) to serve as a receptacle for punched-out paper Waste.

The bottom plate 58 is formed with walls 60 at opposite ends, closing the ends of the base 12; and the bottom plate 58 further includes a sloping front wall 64 shaped to overlie a front wall 65 of the base 12 in approximate parallelism to the latter wall and having integral arcuate tongues 63 projecting into holes 70 formed in the wall 66 and arcing downwardly to provide a hinge connection of the plate 58 to the base 12 of the device. The bottom plate 58 also has an integral rear wall 72 extending upwardly with a tight frictional fit upon the outer surface of a rear wall 74 of the base 12. The rear wall 72 of the bottom plate is formed with a projection. flange 76 by means of which a user of the device may manually force the bottom plate 58 to pivot downwardly and forwardly to permit convenient emptying of waste punchedout paper from the bottom plate 53 Jl'llCll has served as a receptacle for such waste. By a reverse pivotal operation, the bottom plate 58 may easily be restored to its waste receiving position in which it appears in the drawings.

A user, desiring marginal holes to be punched in a certain relationship in one or more sheets of paper, first installs punch assemblies 28, with the punches 3t) thereof extending within sets of holes 26a, b and c corresponding to the desired spacing of the holes to be punched. Such installation of a punch assembly is accomplished merely by pushing its punch 311? down into a selected set of holes 26a, 1) and c, meanwhile either transversely squeezing the bottom coil of the spring 32 or pushing said coil forwardly momentarily so that a part of said coil can snap into the recess 24 to hold the punch assembly in place. Reverse manipulation of the spring permits ready removal of a punch assembly when desired.

After proper installation of the punch assemblies, one or more sheets x of paper are inserted leftwardly into slot 45, as viewed in FIG. 3, until the edges of the paper abut the edges 42a in the device, whereafter downward pressing of the lever 2 causes the punches 36 then in use to be forced downwardly through the paper and into related holes 26d to form the desired holes in the paper.

When it is desired to change the spacing of holes to be punched by the device, the user merely removes the punch assemblies from those positions at which no punching is desired and inserts punches in those sets of hole 2611-260 located in positions where punching is desired.

It will be seen from the foregoing that this device may very quickly be adjusted for the punching of variously spaced holes and that the device also accomplishes all the other stated objectives of this invention.

It will also be understood that the concepts of this invention may be utilized in various other Ways Without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A paper-punching device comprising a base member; a punch holding member rigidly integral with said base member; portions of said members being spaced to provide a slot to receive paper to be punched, and said members being formed with plural spaced sets of aligned holes; plural punch assem lies each including a punch adapted for insertion into and operation in a set of said aligned holes to punch a hole in paper disposed in said slot; and an operating lever for operating said punches; said punch assemblies being changeably distributable among plural, differently spaced sets of said holes to enable the device to punch holes in the paper in various selected spaced relationships; the device further including yieldable detent :means coacting between said punch holding member and said punch assemblies for retaining the latter in operative association with related sets of said aligned holes.

2. A paper-punching device according to claim 1, said punch holding member being formed with an elongate recess extending in equally spaced relationship to said plural sets of aligned holes, and said detent means comprising a yieldable portion, of each said assembly, adapted to extend releasably into said elongate recess.

3. A paper-punching device according to claim 2, each of said punch assemblies comprising a punch, and a spring connected toward an upper end thereof to an upper end portion of said punch and adapted to coact, toward a lower end thereof, with an underlying surface to hold the punch in a yieldable, raised position; a lower portion of said spring constituting said detent means.

4. A paper-punching device according to claim 3, said spring being a conical coil spring, connected toward an upper small end thereof to an upper portion of said punch and coiled downwardly about said punch; a part of a coil toward the lower end of said spring being adapted to extend into said elongate recess as said detent means.

5. A paper-punching device according to claim 2, each of said punch assemblies comprising a punch having a lower, cylindrical, plunger portion, an upper portion en- 5 6 gageable by said Operating lever for actuating the punch, upper portion being a rounded-top button fixed upon the and a neck, of less diameter than said lower and upper upper end of said neck. portions, rigidly interconnecting the two last mentioned portions; and a conical coil spring connected to said punch Refgrences Cited withits srnallest end coil retained in position closelyen- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS circhng said neck and the remainder of the spring spiraling downwardly and outwardly, substantially coaxially 1,197,934 9/ 1916 83571 about said plunger portion; a part of the lower end coil 1,582,516 8/1928 Wanln et 83-571 X of said spring constituting said detent means and eXtend- 3,176,570 4/1965 Gaya 83 571 ing releasably into said elongate recess.

6. A paper-punching device according to claim 5, said 10 JAMES M. MEISTER, Przmary Examiner. 

